First screeching onto television screens in 1975, 'Starsky & Hutch' brought much of the streetwise grit, the violence, and the sheer excitement from hit movies such as 'Dirty Harry' to the small screen. There had been Police series virtually since then beginning of television, but 'Starsky & Hutch' had something else – this show was undoubtedly "hip". A huge hit at the time, it now stands as one of the iconic cop shows of the 1970s, particularly thanks to the fashions and infamous car chases that went with it. On the surface, plain-clothes Detectives Starsky and Hutch were like oil and water. Ken Hutchinson opted very much for the quiet life, being well read, a deep thinker, and enjoying fine cuisine. Dave Starsky, on the other hand, was louder, more brash, enjoying street life and a diet of junk food. Their personalities might have contrasted, but once together, they meshed perfectly, practically operating and thinking as one, as they rid the streets of muggers, drug pushers, murderers, rapists, racketeers, and similar scum. Their methods weren't always the most orthodox and they weren't afraid to bend the rules, but they always got results. Huggy Bear was the duo's ultra-hip, jive talking, streetwise informant. It was sometimes lightly hinted that Huggy was a pimp, but this was never really confirmed (or denied) in the series. By the fourth, final season, things had become very watered down from the violent early days, with far tamer stories, and many episodes played firmly tongue-in-cheek, with the light-hearted "buddy-buddy" element at the fore more than ever. Glaser was still unhappy with his contract tying him to the series, and as a result, it was rumored that it was considered killing his character off in the final episode of the season, "Sweet Revenge". There was some speculation that for the fifth season, Hutch would be partnered by Starsky's younger brother Nicholas, introduced previously in the fourth season in "Starsky's Brother", but whether this proposal was ever seriously considered or not, nothing ever became of the idea. Either way, Starsky lived on, and Glaser was freed of the contract anyway when ABC decided not to renew the show for a fifth season, due to by then slipping ratings. All four seasons are currently available on DVD through Sony Pictures.moreless

Tom and Jerry was originally the very first, and earliest of the Hanna-Barbera Cartoons. It went through many phases and took place from anywhere from inside a house, to anywhere in outer space. The show was of course, about a cat and a mouse, and several other characters. The two never really talked, even though they do sing, yell, gasp, laugh, count, or say "Aha!!"; and that several other characters spoke more often. They would later end up in several TV series, and also in a few movies, however many would say that they didn't like the way the movies turned out. All of the episodes were distributed by MGM. Here's more info about the show in general: Pilot Episodes: The Pilot Episode was called "Puss Gets The Boot" and was also the first one with Mammy in it. Tom looked very different and was called Jasper. It was produced by Harman-Ising Productions. Fred Quimby: Fred Quimby was the Producer of Tom & Jerry for many years. He is also the Producer of Tex Avery's Cartoons. Tom's fur would eventually become blue. CinemaScope: These cartoons had more people in them. There were narrators, and many conversations between the adults. Lewis Marshall became an Animation Director, and Hanna-Barbera were the Producers. Rembrandt: Only seeing the older Tom & Jerry cartoons, and not having enough information on the show, Ted Pierce, Gene Deich, and William L. Snyder and the rest of the crew had trouble in producing their episodes of Tom & Jerry. Sib Tower 12 Incorporated: One of the last producers of Tom & Jerry, this version has the famous opening with the yellow background and the red letters (except for the 5 letters O and J) where Tom hisses and Jerry waves. The producer was Chuck Jones, and the cartoons look ahead of their time. There were several new characters, including a yellow bulldog, and Tom's Girlfriend, The Shark, Jerry's Dog, and several robots where Tom was a security operator at a cheese mine. Other people that worked on the show were Les Goldman, Maurice Noble, Michael Maltese, Tom Ray, Earl Jonas, Lewis Marshall, Eugene Poddany, Bill Lava, Dean Elliott, Carl Brandt, Mel Blanc, June Foray, Abe Levitow, Ben Washam, Don Foster, and Walter Bien. They would later do several Dr. Seuss cartoons along with Depatie-Freeling Entertainment, the Cricket seties, Duck Dodgers, and many other Award Winning shows. Filmation: Many years later, Filmation attempted to produce Tom & Jerry. It was a TV show called The Tom & Jerry Comedy Show. It seemed to look like all the Tom & Jerry cartoons in the 1950s and 1960s. They also aired and produced some other MGM cartoons, like the ones that are directed by Tex Avery. The episodes of The Tom & Jerry Comedy Show are mentioned here. TV: The New Tom and Jerry Show and The Tom and Jerry Kids Show: HB's TV versions. Neither lasted long, but several people still remember Them. They weren't that violent either. They were about the characters trying to solve everyday problems. Tom & Jerry Kids had other charachers as kids that were also produced by Fred Quimby, Including Tex Avery's Cartoon Characters. Now: Tom & Jerry was recently produced by AOL Time Warner and Turner Home Entertainment. They aren't the best cartoons. Tom and Jerry is currently airing on Cartoon Network! Check your local listings! Every episode of Tom & Jerry can be seen on Cartoon Network and Boomerang for one hour, and also The Sib Tower 12 Inc Cartoons can be seen with The Chuck Jones Show.moreless

Described by Doug Thomas of Amazon.com as "a little more hip than Little Bear and a little less talky than Arthur," Franklin is a delightful cartoon about Franklin Turtle, his family and his many friends. Although Franklin is a turtle, he's like any kid his age. He attends school, enjoys playing with his friends and likes to try new things on his own, although sometimes he still he needs some help from his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Turtle. He has a goldfish named Goldie and a stuffed dog named Sam. There have been a few changes to Franklin throughout its run, including the introduction of a new opening sequence and the introduction of Franklin's baby sister. There were also a few cast and crew changes. However, the important things stayed the same. The program so far has aired six seasons, as well as a direct-to-video movie, Franklin and the Green Knight and two other direct-to-video releases. Additionally, a Franklin CD was released: Hey, It's Franklin, which contains the show theme song, music from Franklin and the Green Knight and music from the retired touring Franklin show, Franklin's Big Adventure. A number of Franklin television stories are also available as books, including some never broadcast on television. The show still continues today --- check the guide and further below for more details. Franklin is based on a series of books by Paulette Bourgeois and Brenda Clark and many episodes of the program are based directly on original Franklin stories. Others that were originally written for television were later released in book form. Franklin airs daily on Noggin cable/satellite. Noggin shows the program two times a day, including weekends. The showtimes are 11 A.M. and 5P.M. eastern time every day. Noggin seems to show episodes in no particular order, so check listings if you want to know what you're recording/watching. Check local listings for showtimes in your area. Also, check stores, Amazon.com, or your local library for videos and DVDs of classic episodes of Franklin. In Canada, Franklin is shown on Treehouse TV and perhaps still on CBC. Check listings for more details or if you live in another country, as the show airs elsewhere as well. On March 15, 2004, Noggin premiered the movie Franklin and the Green Knight on U.S. television. They then aired the fifth season of the program, which previously had aired only on Canada's Family Channel and more recently in other foreign markets. Airdates listed in the guide for the first four seasons reflect Nickelodeon airdates, airdates listed for the fifth season reflect Noggin airdates, although these episodes originally premiered several years earlier on Canada's Family Channel. Franklin's sixth season has aired on Treehouse TV and then repeated on the CBC. Special thanks to Jaden2 - her help has been invaluable in getting information on the sixth season up. For those in the United States, some episodes of the sixth season are now airing in repeats. The film Franklin and the Turtle Lake Treasure is also now available on DVD.moreless

X-Men: Evolution brought the fan favorite comic book title onto the TV screen. The series loosely follows the main stories of the original comic. The main cast has been turned into kids (with the exception of Wolverine, Prof. X, and a few select others). Most of the fan favorites are accounted for, including Wolverine, Cyclops, and Storm.X-Men: Evolution follows the lives of six mutants (Cyclops, Jean Grey, Nightcrawler, ShadowCat, Rouge, and a new original named Spyke) who attend Xavier's Institute for the Gifted. There they learn how to control their powers and use it for good.Episodes: 52 Color Episodes (52 half-hour episodes, 4 two-part episodes) Production: Marvel Enterprises Distributors: Kids' WB The series won two Daytime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing - Special Class and Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing - Live Action and Animation.moreless

Batman Beyond premiered on January 10, 1999. It told the story about a new and different Batman. It takes place far in the future, years after Batman appeared for the last time. Terry McGinnis rekindles the fire in Bruce Wayne's bitter old heart, and takes up the role as the new Dark Knight - with the old one as his mentor. With a new ruler of Gotham City, Derek Powers, crime is at an all-time high. After Terry finds out Bruce's secret and his father is killed, Terry becomes the new Batman. He has to juggle life being a superhero, and being a high school student. He's a more high-tech Batman, with rocket boots and cloaks. He's the Knight of Tomorrow. Spin-off: The Zeta Project. Related Shows That Feature Crossovers: Batman: The Animated Series, Superman, Justice League, The Zeta Project, and Static Shock. Emmy Awards 2001 - Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition. Outstanding Special Class Animated Program. Emmy Nominations 2000 - Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition. Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing - Special Class. Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing - Special Class. Outstanding Special Class Animated Program. 2001 - Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition. Outstanding Special Class Animated Program. Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing - Special Class. Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing - Special Class. 2002 - Outstanding Special Class Animated Program. Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing - Special Class. Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing - Special Class. 2002 - Outstanding Special Class Animated Program. Annie Awards 1999 - Outstanding Individual Achievement for Storyboarding in an Animated Television Production for episode "Black Out". 2000 - Outstanding Achievement in a Daytime Animated Television Production. Outstanding Individual Achievement for Directing in an Animated Television Production for episode "The Call (1)". Annie Nominations 1999 - Outstanding Individual Achievement for Writing in an Animated Television Production for episode "Rebirth (1)". 2000 - Outstanding Individual Achievement for Writing in an Animated Television Production for episode "Zeta". 2001 - Outstanding Individual Achievement for Writing in an Animated Television Production for episode "Out of the Past". Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Male Performer in an Animated Television Production for Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne for the same episode. Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Female Performer in an Animated Television Production for Olivia Hussey as Talia for the same episode.moreless

Shin'ichi Kudou is a high-school student who is famous for helping the police solve crimes. His almost girlfriend, Ran Mouri, is the captain of the karate club. Ran's father, Kogoro Mouri, is a detective and blames Shin'ichi for his lack of business. One night while Shin'ichi follows someone suspicious in the amusement park Tropical Land, he is given poison by a man in black which was supposed to kill him, but instead shrinks him to the of a six year old. Under the suggestion of Professor Agasa, he keeps his identity a secret from everyone until he can change back, going under the name Conan Edogawa based from mystery writers Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Ranpo Edogawa.

Goosebumps was a live-action series that began on Fox Kids in the mid '90s. It's based on the award-winning book series, written by R.L. Stine.

Goosebumps takes place in a strange reality, where nothing is as it seems. Normal kids find themselves trapped within and exposed to the paranormality that this world has to offer. And in each situation, they must find a way to get themselves out. From evil halloween masks to werewolves. From scarecrows to dummies. From haunted amusement parks and toy towns that come to life, in Goosebumps, anything can happen!moreless

This is the third attempt at bringing Wonder Woman to the small screen. The first was an unaired pilot from the 1960's and the next was an unsuccessful mid 1970's movie starring Cathy Lee Crosby as a blonde Wonder Woman! Finally, in 1975, the athletic and stunning Lynda Carter was perfectly cast as the amazonian princess who leaves the island of Themyscira to fight for justice in man's world. The first season took place during World War II with Wonder Woman fighting the Nazis. The Second season updated the Wonder Woman mythos to modern times and a different network. The series only lasted three seasons but proved to be a pop-cultural hit thanks to reruns.moreless

Batman: the Animated Series was an animated series that premiered on September 5, 1992. The series was based on the popular Batman comics created by Bob Kane. The series focused on the adventures of Batman a dark vigilante hero who defends Gotham City from a variety of costumed villains that include The Joker, The Penguin, Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, The Riddler, The Mad Hatter, Ra's Al Ghul, Bane, Killer Croc, Clayface, and The Clock King. Batman is the secret identity of millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne. The highly successful series merged revolutionary animation and great storytelling. The series was so successful that a feature film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm was released during the run of the series and a direct to video feature Batman & Mr. Freeze: Subzero was also created. The first seasons of the series focused mainly on the adventures of Batman. In the last season the series was retitled The Adventures of Batman and Robin and focused on the adventures of both Batman and his younger crime fighting associate Robin. The last new episode of the series was broadcast on September 15, 1995. The series was followed by a spinoff utilizing different animation entitled Batman Gotham Knights. Episodes of Batman Gotham Knights, episodes of Superman, and reruns of Batman: the Animated Series were broadcast in 1997 under the title The New Batman/Superman Adventures. Spinoff: Batman Gotham KnightsRelated Shows that feature Crossovers: Batman Beyond, Superman, and Justice League. Emmy Awards and Nominations Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less) - Robin's Reckoning: Part 1, Outstanding Writing in an Animated Program, Outstanding Music Direction and Composition - A Bullet For Bullock, Outstanding Sound Editing - Special Class, Outstanding Special Class Animated Program and Outstanding Sound Mixing - Special Class Other Awards or Nominations Annie Award (The Annie Awards are given out in a variety of animation related categories): 1998 Winner: Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Home Video Production First Telecast: September 5, 1992 Last Telecast: September 15, 1995 Episodes: 85 Color Episodes (85 half-hour episodes, 7 two-part episodes, 1 Feature Movie, 1 Direct to Video Movie) Production: Warner Brothers Studios Animation Production: Sunrise, Inc.moreless

Disney's smash hit Kim Possible is focused on the everyday life of a high school teen. Kim Possible has to find a balance with everything school related, and battling super villains on a regular basis. Of course, all heroes need a wisecracking, clumsy partner. Kim is no exception. The comic relief of the heroic duo, Ron Stoppable, is always there for Kim, though his pet and second best friend Rufus, the naked mole rat, is always there to help out the duo when the going gets rough. The series won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Mixing - Live Action and Animation.

Character Guide:

Kim Possible: High school cheerleader by day, crime fighter by. . . well, day as well. She still has to be home by curfew, after all. Kim has no secret identity, which makes her that much more of a hero in that people can relate to her and don't seem to make a big deal out of it, mostly at her insistence. Her fiery red hair is a symbol of her attitude that is best summed up by the phrase, "I can do anything." She is stubborn, strong-willed, and has a fuse shorter than a grenade with a three second delay. Despite all of this, however, she is extremely humble, refusing to take credit for her truly amazing actions.

Ron Stoppable: Kim's best friend, partner, and in fourth season boyfriend. His nonconformist "never be normal" philosophy is applied to all facets of his life, and he has taught Kim a thing or two about peer pressure. He takes great pride in eating, and is the proud inventor of the Naco. Unlike Kim, who refuses to take credit for her actions, Ron is, as Kim puts it, "prone to big-headiness." While he's a bit of a glory hound, he always shares it with Kim (often to her chagrin) instead of soaking up the limelight. His unwavering devotion to Kim is simultaneously his greatest strength and his greatest weakness, for while it is the trait that makes her take notice of him, it also leads to her taking him for granted more often than not.

Dr. Drakken: For a supergenius, Theodore "Drew" P. Lipsky aka Dr. Drakken is pretty stupid. He has the brains to come up with some great ideas, but he lacks the patience it takes to iron out all the kinks and get his inventions fully functional. If it wasn't for Shego, he would have been out of the villain game a long time ago.

Shego: Essentially Kim's dark reflection. Both are smart, athletic, attractive, not to mention they both have green eyes. The only difference is that Shego has raven black hair as opposed to Kim's auburn locks, and the fact that she chooses to use her powers for evil rather than good. And boy, does she have powers. Her fiery personality is illustrated perfectly in her ability to encapsulate her hands in green plasma, as well as shoot these bursts of plasma at whomever she chooses. Shego takes great pride in sidelining Drakken's megalomaniacal ranting with the occasional snide remark and attempts to act as the voice of reason but fails utterly because Drakken is, well, insane. Why exactly she sticks around other than that is uncertain, but it may have to do with some feelings that may forever go unexplored.

Wade: As Kim's gadget guy and operator of her website, Wade is an invaluable addition to Team Possible. Despite only being 13, he holds several PhDs and can type at over 300 words per minute. He is a genius at all things technical, and proves invaluable as a support operator. He would be world renowned if he ever left his room, but the fact that he has only left it once shows signs that Wade suffers from agorophobia, the fear of going out into public.

Mr. Dr. Possible: As a rocket scientist, he's a living analogy for intelligence. He views women as equals with their own opinions rather than as underlings to be ordered around, and for this reason he is a great father to Kim and lets her live her own life, but he has letting go issues. He just can't handle the fact thas someday somebody will take away "his" Kimmie-cub, who will forever remain four to him. But with Kim now dating Ron, he'll have to let go sooner or later.

Mrs. Dr. Possible: Top brain surgeon and mother to Kim, Mrs. Dr. Possible has yet another analogy attached to her name. She is essentially Kim all grown up. Smart, independent, attractive, and not afraid to have a little fun, the Possible matriarch is a little more lenient than her husband, but she still enforces the rules when they truly matter.

Jim & Tim Possible: Kim's twin brothers or "Tweebs" as she calls them. They are super smart, but they use their intelligence more to annoy their sister than anything else. Despite the annoyance that they can be, twin supergeniuses can be quite useful on a mission.

Bonnie: If Shego is Kim's dark reflection, then Bonnie is Kim's polar opposite. Her stuck up, pessimistic, OCD, holier-than-thou attitude makes her the typical cheerleader. She makes it her mission to make Kim's social life miserable, but ends up failing most of the time.

Monique: Essentially a guidance counselor in the form of an African American teen. "Wise beyond her years" is the understatement of the century when it comes to Kim's best female friend. She has the uncanny ability to identify the source of and solution to other people's problems, which means she'll make an excellent therapist some day. Like Kim, Monique stands up for herself and refuses to let herself be controlled, earning a steady salary as a salesgirl at Club Banana. She is also an avid wrestling fan, which gives her and Ron something in common.moreless

A thousand years ago, the moon was home to a great civilization ruled by Queen Serenity. Everything was peaceful, until the arrival of the evil Queen Beryl. To conquer the moon, Queen Beryl unleashed the awesome power of the Negaforce. Although her world was destroyed, Queen Serenity's last hope was the power of the Imperium Silver Crystal and the Crescent Moon Wand. Frozen in Moon Beam Crystals, the queen sent the Moon Princess and the children of the moon to the future on Earth, their memories lost to them all. However, Queen Beryl and her evil forces were also sent to Earth and now they have reawakened. Queen Serenity's adviser Luna must now gather the Sailor Scouts in order to stop Queen Beryl.moreless

Spartacus: War of the Damned is the final season in the acclaimed Starz TV series Spartacus. With Glaber dead Spartacus and his army of rebels, now amounting to thousands, has become a force to be reckoned with. Determined to bring down the Roman Republic Spartacus leads his mass of freed slaves into a full out war. Rome's only hope is Marcus Crassus who, aided by young Julius Caesar, will do his might to crush Spartacus and his rebellion.moreless

"Inspectors eight-one, responding." This 70's crime drama was one of many Quinn Martin Production shows, a roster which included Cannon, The FBI, The Fugitive and Barnaby Jones. It was filmed entirely on location in San Francisco.

The show first aired on September 16, 1972 in a time slot of Saturday at 9 p.m., playing against two popular half-hour shows, Mary Tyler Moore and Bob Newhart. Due to the success of its first season, it moved into a more prominent spot -- Thursdays at 10, and later, Thursdays at 9, showing in the same time slot as Kojak, Ironside, and Barnaby Jones.

The Streets of San Francisco starred Karl Malden as veteran detective Mike Stone and Michael Douglas as Steve Keller, a rookie detective who is college- educated in a workingman's SFPD.

The show ran for a total of five seasons. After the second episode of the 1976-77 season, Michael Douglas left the show; writers explained that Steve Keller was going to pursue a teaching career. The insufferably pretty Richard Hatch was chosen to play the ingenue-detective role, but the show foundered and lasted for only another season, airing for the last time on June 23, 1977.moreless

MacGyver is a different kind of hero: he doesn't use weapons, he's afraid of heights, and he's an expert at making complicated machines out of ordinary things quickly. He works in the employ of The Phoenix Foundation, a think tank dedicated to improving mankind. Pete Thornton gave MacGyver his assignments, occasionally getting involved himself or lending Foundation resources for MacGyver's various personal endeavors. Another sometimes accomplice was Jack Dalton, a long-time friend with a penchant for getting himself into trouble and relying on MacGyver for helping him out of it. MacGyver also had an archenemy, Murdoc, who sought to kill MacGyver many times, often through the use of ruses and elaborate traps. MacGyver's first name was a secret until the final season, when we learned just why he chose not to use it. MacGyver was produced by Henry Winkler/John Rich productions in association with Paramount Television.moreless

Welcome to the Thomas The Tank Engine & Friends guide at TV.com. The show is about a tank engine, Thomas, and his friends who live on the Island of Sodor. Together, the engines work on the railways under the supervision of Sir Topham Hatt, the "Fat Controller." Thomas The Tank Engine actually dates back to 1945, when the Reverend Wilbert Vere Awdry created The Railway Series to amuse his son Christopher, who was suffering from measles. His wife Margaret encouraged him to publish the stories and he did so, going on to add another book each year (except 1947 and 1971) until 1972. Wilbert's son Christopher later continued The Railway Series up to 40 books. In 1984 Britt Allcroft decided to turn the stories into a TV series with Ringo Starr as the narrator. He was replaced by Michael Angelis in 1991, who still narrates today. (Full Narrator listings below.) When the series was shown on PBS in the US, it was part of a show called Shining Time Station. 2 of the show's narrators played Mr. Conductor in the series, Ringo Starr in the earlier episodes and George Carlin later. Since the show ran from 1989 to 1993, only early episodes of Thomas are part of it. A note on writers: In the episode guide, the writers are as follows: If the episode is based on a Railway Series book by the Rev W Awdry, he will be credited as the writer. If the episode is based on a Railway Series book by Christopher Awdry, he will be credited as the writer. If the episode is not based on a Railway Series book, Britt Allcroft and David Mitton will be credited as the writers since they wrote it. From Season 6 the writers are varied. Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends is Based on The Railway Series by The Reverend W. Awdry. Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends and Thomas & Friends are trademarks of HIT Entertainment Inc.moreless

"In 1972 a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire: THE A-TEAM." ========================== Broadcast History NBC---Jan. 1983---Sunday 10:00-11:00 NBC---Feb. 1983-Aug. 1986---Tuesday 8:00-9:00 NBC---Aug. 1986-Dec. 1986---Friday 8:00-9:00 NBC---Dec. 1986---Tuesday 8:00-9:00 NBC---May 1987-Jun. 1987---Sunday 7:00-8:00 ===================== Theme by: Mike Post & Pete Carpenter ========================moreless

Dubbed ABC's companion series to Lost, FlashForward is loosely based on the underlying themes of Robert J. Sawyer's sci-fi novel of the same name. The plot centers around an eerie, chaotic vision of the future after a mysterious event makes everyone on Earth lose consciousness. Later, as people start waking up, the world starts changing because people know their future. Starring Joseph Fiennes and John Cho as Mark Benford and Demetri Noh, two FBI agents assigned to investigating the unknown cause of the two minute blackout.moreless

Created by Donald P. Bellisario, who had already had such hits as 'Magnum p.i.' (1980-1988), 'Airwolf' followed the adventures of a hi-tech helicopter and it's reclusive pilot, Stringfellow Hawke. Bellisario developed Airwolf (early working titles: Blackwolf, Lonewolf), from the loose concept of a third season 'Magnum, P.I.' episode he'd previously written, titled 'Two Birds Of A Feather' (1983) - an unsold pilot about a treasure-hunting, adventure-loving ace combat pilot named Sam Houston Hunter (William Lucking). Bellisario had come up with the concept after Lucking played a similar character in a couple of episodes of another Bellisario series, 'Tales Of The Gold Monkey' (1982-3). After the proposed new series wasn't picked up, Bellisario took the bare bones of the concept, and eventually developed the premise into 'Airwolf'. Airwolf itself was a hi-tech attack helicopter, equipped with cutting-edge on-board computer, surveillance and radar systems, able to fly quicker than the fastest jets, and armed with awesome fire-power. Dubbed "The Lady" due to it's slender grace, Airwolf had been constructed by "The Firm", a mysterious, top-secret division of the C.I.A., distinguishable by it's agents all-white dress code. At the start of the Pilot adventure, we see Airwolf on its maiden test flight, piloted by its creator, Dr. Moffet (David Hemmings). But after the successful test flight, the twisted Moffet turns the chopper's lethal fire-power onto the flight tower, causing carnage, before heading off to Libya in the machine. Michael Coldsmith-Briggs III, codename "Archangel" (Alex Cord), the head of the division who built Airwolf, is badly wounded in the assault but not yet out of the game. Now wearing an eye-patch and walking with aid of a cane as a result of his injuries, he calls upon ace combat pilot Stringfellow Hawke (Jan-Michael Vincent) to take the task of bringing back Airwolf from Libya. Hawke is a cello-playing recluse, living in his scenaric cabin in the mountains – with a priceless art collection, and with only his dog Tet for company - ever since his brother St. John went Missing In Action in the Vietnam War, never to be found. Hawke eventually agrees to take the mission, aided by his only close friend, Dominic Santini (Ernest Borgnine). Much Hawke's senior, Dominic was very much his mentor, who was prone to the odd bout of grouchiness, but for the majority of the time was raucously cheerful. He owned Santini Air, a flight company that's main vehicles were decked out in stars and stripes, which specialised in performing arial stunts for films. Hawke and Dominic prised Airwolf back from Moffet's clutches (blowing away it's twisted genius creator in the process), but Hawke wasn't ready to return it back over to the Firm just yet. Hiding it in a hollow mountain in the middle of the desert wilderness, he refused to return the super-chopper until the Firm found solid information about his M.I.A. brother St. John, be he dead or alive. Thus was set the scenario for the series, with Archangel - usually accompanied by assistant Marella (Deborah Pratt) - calling upon Hawke in times of crisis to fly Airwolf on missions of national concern, with the occasional glimmer of hope regarding finding St. John - or at least solid information about his fate - thrown in for good measure. The first season was intelligently written, with a very classy, elegant feel. It was in many ways ahead of it's time, being distinctly dark and dramatic, with heavy religious over-tones and symbolisms, and with stories revolving around cases of international espionage, spying, and such-like, and much talk of "the opposition" - be it taken to be Libyans, the Russians, or whichever assumptions one took. The series did fairly well in the ratings, but CBS wanted to achieve even higher numbers, by "domesticating" the show more – to make stories less dark and symbolic, and to make things more light-hearted to try and win a wider audience. When the second season arrived, it brought with it the most significant and notable change - the introduction of a regular female cast member, created by Bellisario after CBS's insistence. Introduced in the season's opening episode, 'Sweet Britches', Jean Bruce Scott was brought in as feisty Caitlin O'Shannessy, who within the season's first few episodes was set-up as a regular character, working at Santini Air, and before long became the occasional third Airwolf pilot. Also with the new season, The Firm was blended into the background somewhat, to allow more wider-ranging stories, again mostly due to CBS's insistence. Overall the season did well, with much of the dark intrigue still surviving from the first series, mixed with the new slightly lighter-hearted, wider-reaching stories. In the meantime, Bellisario and Deborah Pratt, having met on the show, had married. But by the end of the season, Bellisario had grown increasingly tired of CBS' constant "interfering" with his original vision for the series, and eventually left, taking Pratt with him. The pair left to work on new projects of their own, the biggest and most popular to date being 'Quantum Leap' (with which Airwolf shares much of it's dark, religious over-tones, as well as also using a horde of the same Bellisario-favoured actors and crew). Also behind the scenes, Jan-Michael Vincent's troubled personal life - including battles with drink and drugs, and frequence fights with his wife - were increasingly causing problems during production of the series. Vincent actually broke his arm during one such drunken row with his wife, mid-production of one episode, 'Sins Of The Past', with his right arm visibally hanging limp throughout much of the episode as a result. CBS brought the series back for a third season, now without Bellisario's overseeing (his name on the show survived only as 'Created by' on the opening credits). While still offering up some good episodes, including some very impressive action set pieces (both airborne and otherwise), overall the previous sharp, clever script quality was now somewhat lower, and things were by now noticeably more watered down, with the series now acting as a more all-round "family" action-adventure show. Whilst they still occasionally had their moments, both Hawke's reclusive broodiness, and the whole eerie mysteriousness surrounding The Firm – two key factors in Bellisario's original vision - were by now very toned down. (Incidentally, with the third season, the Firm became spelt as an acronym, "the F.I.R.M.", though what these initials stood for was never explained.) The majority of episode plots were by now a far cry from the original season's dark themes; it's often commented (rightly so in several cases) that, far from the early stories of international emergencies, many of this season's stories seemed to revolve around little more than domestic feuds! But the worst was yet to come... CBS finally called it a day with 'Airwolf' at the end of the third season in 1986 - the last episode being 'Birds Of Paradise', an avarage episode which didn't serve to round to series off in any way. Despite CBS's constant tampering trying to make it an even bigger hit, in the long-run was much the cause of the demise of the show, with ratings gradually dropping mostly as a result of the third season's many more "family friendly" story-lines which lost favour with many fans. Jan-Michael Vincent's ever increasingly troubled personal life had done nothing to ease production of the series, either. However, the rights to the series were brought by a small TV company, Atlantis, for the USA Network, and a new series was commissioned for syndication. The whole of the original cast were written out (no doubt due to cost) – both Hawke and Dominic are killed off in the opening episode (though only Jan-Michael Vincent is actually seen), Archangel is suddenly said to be assigned overseas, and what has become of Caitlin is never mentioned. Taking their place was an all new cast. In the opening episode, 'Blackjack', Hawke's long-missing brother St. John (now seemingly his younger brother, not older, and played by Barry Van Dyke is suddenly located. The original series had several contradictions over St. John, but this new version completely threw any previous continuity out of the window! The Firm was now suddenly, unexplainedly called "The Company" (gone too were the trademark white suits), at which Jason Locke (Anthony Sherwood) is the new contact. He calls upon Major Mike Rivers (Geraint Wyn Davies) to help locate Airwolf – only to find that Dominic's niece, the - previously unmentioned - Jo Santini (Michelle Scarabelli) has already found it, and in it, they set off to rescue St. John. After his rescue began a new season of adventures, often with very little feel of connection to the original series. The new series was filmed on a very low budget in Canada, and much of the aerial footage – including ALL footage of Airwolf in flight, was simply footage recycled from the original three seasons. Other times, very poor model effects of Airwolf were used. Special effects (bar the stock footage) were weak, most of the stories were incredibly dull and wooden, much of the acting was poor - the series was embarrassing at best. There seemed little place for logic, either - the new contact, Locke, clearly knew of Airwolf's location (and often flew it himself!!), yet made no attempt to return it to the Company. In the original, Stringfellow Hawke, and at a push, Dominic or Caitlin, were capable of flying Airwolf – yet suddenly, each of the new characters could pilot it... the whole premise was full of holes. It seems maybe rather amazing (not to mention such a shame) that from the dark, classy, "ahead-of-it's-time" first season, things could end up as this. Understandably, many Airwolf "purists" will refuse to recognise this series as part of the "proper" Airwolf fodder. Suddenly, despite all of the CBS third season's short-comings, fans now found themselves saying "come back third season, all is forgiven", and would have given anything to have the original series, in any of it's versions from the original three seasons, back in place of this crudely produced revamp! Airwolf wasn't the only "super helicopter" on air at the time of it's debut – there was also hi-tech police surveillance chopper 'Blue Thunder' (1984), spun-off from the 1983 movie of the same name; but even with that series having a big-screen film to kick it off, Airwolf generally emerged to be seen as the "ultimate" super-helicopter series, with - at it's peak - it's clever, cathartic scripts paling Blue Thunder's much wider, less serious take. Airwolf itself was a highly modified Bell 222b, with a number of fibreglass and aluminium sections fitted to give it its unique look. In the TV series Airwolf may have been capable of supersonic speeds, but in reality, the numerous additions resulted in only slowing the helicopter's speeds! Sadly, the aircraft used for Airwolf crashed in Germany in 1991 (however, most of the specially built modifications are still in existence in the depths of Universal Studios). Note: This article, as well as episode guest cast lists, synopses and all other material in this guide (unless otherwise contributed) is written by the editor of this show. While it is intended for the reference and enjoyment of fellow fans of the show, please ask permission before using it, be it whole or in part, elsewhere.moreless

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